The present invention relates to an improved hearing aid apparatus, and more particularly an earring-style hearing aid apparatus.
A hearing aid user typically desires a hearing aid that is not conspicuous when worn. A hearing aid that is conspicuous when worn makes apparent the wearer""s need for a hearing aid and is therefore typically perceived as unattractive by a hearing aid user. This perception has led to various attempts to camouflage or disguise hearing aids, or to make hearing aids more attractive by adorning them with decorative elements. The decorative elements are typically disposed directly on the hearing aid, or in the hearing aid wearer""s earlobe having the effect of covering the hearing aid or disguising the hearing aid as a piece of jewelry being worn in the wearer""s ear or ear lobe. One problem with such decorative elements is that they increase the surface of the hearing aid that exists outside the ear. By doing so, they increase the chances of an impact being delivered to the area of the hearing aid that exists outside the ear. Such an impact can be transmitted to the parts of the hearing aid that reside in the inner ear thereby causing injury to the wearer.
Furthermore, such decorative elements fail to offer a visual appearance that varies from day to day. If the same decorative element is consistently displayed, the aesthetic appeal of the disguised hearing aid is detracted from and the wearer is again stigmatized as always wearing the same piece of jewelry. In a similar vein, each wearer has ear characteristics that are infinitely different from another wearer""s ear characteristics. For example, the shape and size of the inner ear, the outer ear and the earlobe vary greatly from person to person. Thus, the disguised hearing aid must provide the flexibility needed so that it can be adapted to any one wearer""s specific features while at the same time providing quality aided hearing.
More recently, advancements have been made allowing for the miniaturization of parts. Smaller hearing aids have resulted from such advancements. However, feedback problems can arise when circuit components are placed to closely together. For instance, placing the microphone too close to the amplifier output can result in feedback of the output signal back into the microphone. Such feedback reduces the effectiveness of the hearing aid. Also, over crowding miniaturized components into one housing may result in occlusion of the ear canal, which further reduces the effectiveness of the hearing aid. Also, the severe or profoundly hearing impaired need larger electronic components to deliver the volume or power needed to improve their hearing.
Certain hearing aids that fill a substantial part of the ear canal with solid components or sound conduit also increase the chances of damage to the ear because of an impact delivered to the area of the outer ear. Such damage can occur when the hearing aid is contacted by one of many forces arising in an unlimited number of situations. For example, an accidental nudging from a fellow commuter on a crowded train, or a slip and fall by the wearer, or an article of clothing that becomes ensnared on the hearing aid.
What is needed is an inconspicuous hearing aid that employs a breakaway connection feature. The breakaway connection feature being used to isolate the portion of the hearing aid that resides in the wearer""s inner ear from the portion that resides outside the ear. Thus, with such a hearing aid, the force from an impact to the portion of the hearing aid outside the ear would be dissipated across the breakaway connection and never be delivered to the inner portion of the hearing aid thereby protecting the wearer from sustaining inner ear damage.
What more is needed is a sound conduit for delivering a signal generated by a hearing aid circuit to an area proximate the hearing aid wearer""s eardrum where the sound conduit does not substantially fill the ear canal. Such a conduit design would offer further protection to the wearer. In addition, such a hearing aid must provide flexibility so as to accommodate the wearer""s individual ear features, as well as their fashion interests. Also needed is a hearing aid that considers the spatial location and shielding of components that comprise the hearing aid circuit so as to optimize the circuit performance.
The invention is based on the discovery that an attractive, effective, safer hearing aid can be obtained if a cosmetically attractive housing outside the ear canal is removably connected to an ear canal sound conduit by a breakaway connector that transmits sound effectively.
The invention features an apparatus for delivering a signal generated by a hearing aid circuit to an area proximate the apparatus wearer""s eardrum. The apparatus includes, in part, a moldable ear canal sound conduit that has an overall cross-sectional area that is much smaller than the cross-sectional area of the ear canal. The sound conduit, however, does have a small portion near the wearer""s eardrum that tends to fill that area of the ear canal. As such, an electronic component such as a receiver can be deployed in that portion of the conduit. The invention renders the majority of the ear canal unfilled. An outermost portion of the sound conduit is disposed at the intertragic notch of the wearer""s ear.
The outermost portion of the sound conduit is coupled to a housing by a breakaway connector that can resemble a nipple. The breakaway connector has the ability to conduct a signal generated by a hearing aid circuit to the sound conduit so that the signal is delivered to the wearer""s ear drum. The connection afforded by the breakaway connector is such that when an impact is delivered to the housing, the breakaway connector either pops out of, or collapses against the outermost portion of the sound conduit. The result is that the force of the impact is not delivered to the sound conduit, and the wearer""s inner ear is spared from sustaining injury.
A hearing aid circuit is stored in the housing. The components that comprise the circuit are disposed in the housing such that the position of each component reduces or eliminates undesirable feedback within the circuit. As suggested above, some of the hearing aid components can be disposed in the innermost portion of the sound conduit near the eardrum. The invention can include a circuit holder that is designed to hold the circuit components. The circuit holder is coupled to the housing. Again, the position and shielding of the components within the circuit holder are selected to optimize circuit performance. Such selections are also made while considering the overall-size of the housing.
The housing is equipped with an attachment mechanism that is adjustable. This adjustable mechanism allows the wearer to attach the apparatus to the earlobe, whether pierced or not. Furthermore, the exact position and angle at which the housing must be in order to properly conceal the sound conduit that is disposed in the wearer""s ear can be easily selected by the wearer. This flexibility results, in part, from an adjustable stud-pin disposed in a vertical slot in the housing. The stud-pin is secured within the housing in such a way that it is easily manipulated to a desired position and angle, but remains put after the adjustment is complete. However, for safety considerations, the stud-pin is not secured so tightly that it has no give when the housing of the apparatus is impacted with a force. On the contrary, the stud-pin will yield and give way if the housing is so impacted. Of course the user will have to re-adjust the desired position and angle of the stud-pin after the impact, but such re-adjustment is trivial in comparison to the damage the wearer could sustain without such give in the stud-pin.
The housing can also be accompanied by a cover that is aesthetically appealing. An earring can be selected so as to mimic the apparatus such that the earring has an interchangeable face plate that is similar in size, shape and appearance to the cover of the housing of the apparatus. This allows the wearer to wear the apparatus in the ear that requires the hearing aid, and the earring in the other ear so as to give the impression that the wearer is simply wearing a pair of earrings. Moreover, the wearer will have the option of choosing from a set of earring face plate/housing cover combinations such that the appearance of the apparatus and its accompanying earring can be changed on a regular basis. The earring face plate/housing cover combinations can vary greatly in design and be oversized in comparison to the housing. Of course the wearer can wear an apparatus in both ears if needed. In such a case, each apparatus can have matching housing covers.
The invention also features a hearing aid apparatus that is comprised of various electrical components that can capture sound external to the wearer""s ear, convert that captured sound to an electrical signal, amplify that electrical signal, and then convert that amplified signal into a sound pressure signal that can be received by the eardrum. These components are used in conjunction with the other features of the invention described herein. A receiver that converts the amplified signal into a sound pressure signal can be disposed in the innermost portion of the sound conduit near the eardrum. In such a case, electronic coupling means provides a transmission path between the amplifying part of the circuit and the receiver so that the amplified signal can be received by the receiver. Keeping in step with the safety objectives of the invention, the electronic coupling means preferably employs a breakaway connection at the point where the nipple end of the breakaway connector engages the outermost portion of the sound conduit.
The invention provides several advantages. A hearing aid is provided that is less conspicuous and more attractive when worn because the exposed portion of the hearing aid has the appearance of an attractive earring and hides the inner-ear portion of the hearing aid. The appearance, including the color, of the exposed earring portion of the hearing aid can be easily changed, which makes the hearing aid less conspicuous by providing for aesthetic variety and allowing fashion coordination. Feedback of the amplified output signal back into the microphone is reduced by thoughtful placement and shielding of the components comprising the hearing aid circuit. The risk of injury resulting from an impact on the exposed portion of the hearing aid is reduced. Such reduction of injury comes as a result of the breakaway connection coupling the housing to the moldable ear canal sound conduit, the give-way qualities of the stud-pin, and the fact that the moldable ear canal sound conduit does not substantially fill the ear canal.
The above summary is a general concise statement regarding the invention and is by no way considered a complete disclosure of all the features and benefits of the invention. Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims.